South Dublin County Council Elections 2024: Meet the Candidates Vying for Your Vote
With the upcoming South Dublin County Council (SDCC) elections set to take place on June 7, it’s crucial for voters to be well-informed about the candidates running for the 40 seats. Here’s everything you need to know before heading to the polls.
SDCC is gearing up for a hotly contested election, with a total of 111 candidates from various political parties and independent backgrounds in the running. In the 2019 elections, Fianna Fáil emerged as the leading party with 8 seats, and sitting Mayor Alan Edge is seeking re-election as an independent candidate.
Some familiar faces will not be vying for seats this year, including longstanding independent councillors like Guss O’Connell and former Fianna Fáil TD Charlie O’Connor. On the other hand, sitting Sinn Féin councillor Cathal King is back on the ballot after serving Tallaght South for the past 21 years.
The key issues at the forefront of this year’s election include housing, roads, infrastructure, healthcare, and taxation, as well as national concerns such as immigration and crime. Housing, in particular, has emerged as a top priority for candidates, along with the challenge of motivating voter turnout.
The SDCC election covers seven main regions in South Dublin, each with a varying number of seats up for grabs – Clondalkin (7 seats), Firhouse – Bohernabreena (5 seats), Lucan (5 seats), Palmerstown – Fonthill (5 seats), Rathfarnham – Templeogue (7 seats), Tallaght Central (6 seats), and Tallaght South (5 seats).
Sinn Féin leads the pack with 21 candidates, followed by Fine Gael (13), Fianna Fáil (11), People Before Profit (9), Green Party (7), Labour (5), and Social Democrats (5). Additionally, there are 25 independent candidates representing various platforms.
As voters prepare to cast their ballots on June 7, it’s crucial to be well-acquainted with the diverse range of candidates vying for a seat on the South Dublin County Council.